Draft Protocol for Community-based Restorative Justice Schemes.

Source: (2006) Belfast: Criminal Justice System Northern Ireland.

This paper recognises the finding of the Review of Criminal Justice that community-based restorative justice schemes (“schemes”) can have a role to play in dealing with the types of low-level crime that most commonly concern local communities. It seeks to establish a framework for relations between the criminal justice system and the community-based schemes by setting in place a Protocol for the operation of the schemes in line with the Review’s recommendations. That framework is based on schemes’ compliance with the rule of law and full cooperation with statutory agencies, including the police, in implementing this Protocol. (excerpt)